The Risen Wikia
The First Chapter of an Unlikely Story You traipse as silent as a cat across the marshy ground, skeletal tree branches embracing your now-gaunt frame like soldiers guarding a long-forgotten tomb. Your sallow face is a grim mask of melancholy, and your eyes flick to the night sky above, shattered like glass with an occasional strike of lightning. You feel a downpour beginning to soak your ragged pelt, and you pause for a moment as you surveyed the landscape. Above is only the fabric of the universe, the stars like white pinpricks of light amongst a sea of dark silk, and on the ground are puddles, fractured mirrors on the ground only disturbed by the rain. Your gums ache painfully after chewing for long hours on the bone of a frail rabbit you had hunted only the day before. Your fur is unhealthily dull and your eyes are drained of all emotion, washed away by the rain. Your ribs stick out from lusterless hide, and your overall appearance seems to only consist of the meager colour palette of an 1800s monochrome camera, all the vibrancy in the world evading you. In the downpour, you're just a ghost. Although you are usually quite perceptive, you are not alert as you trudge with a lopsided, limping stride through the bog, and the cold zephyr that gusting through the treetops is the only thing keeping you awake and on your feet. The breeze carries the scent of faraway lands, of lush forests bright with the sound of songbirds and oceans of calm, green fields. Suddenly, as you drink in the smell, you catch an odd scent in the wind. Hardly identifiable in the rain, and surely the winter mistral had carried the scent from a little ways away - but it is a dog, nonetheless. You pause, drinking in the smell of another canine, a smell that you have not tasted on your tongue in so very long, and your eyes widen. This wasteland is like a labyrinth that you have not been able to escape for moons. You haven't seen nor heard a single soul since you entered this swamp, and the only things that have kept you company are the dancing fireflies and the moss that hangs from the trees as limply as men from gallows. In a daze, you rush forward, through the ravine before you that is adorned with wicked, curved briars, and the thorns snag at your fur and pierce your paws. The thicket envelops you and the nettles become sharp teeth that pierce your skin, drawing blood and turning your pelt into a tangled and bloody mess. But you begin to hear voices, distant voices... You sway on your paws, and as the world around you spins, everything turns to black. You reluctantly awaken from your slumber, hoping that it was some kind of cruel nightmare, hoping that you will awaken in the streets from which you came. Alas, as you open your eyes and see a roof of solid dirt above your head, you realize it is not to be. You crane your neck, trying to rise from your surprisingly comfortable nest, and searing pain streaks up your spine. You wince and try not to cry out, but you hear shuffling beside you and out of the corner of your eye, you see a dog padding toward you in swift strides. You make out her features as she gets near you, trying to peer over the edge of the nest without moving too much - moving has become an arduously painful task. Her once pure-white fur is a dusty grey in what meager light the tunnel offers, and although she looks hungry, muscles ripple under her pale hide as well. Your vision becomes hazy as your gaze lifts to meet hers, and you can make out her slender muzzle, ashen nose, and eyes that shine like dusk, filled with the dreams that young dogs often have. Then, she speaks to you. "Ah, so you're awake? Welcome to The Risen, I guess. We hardly get anyone in these parts, so this is a surprise." Her voice is surprisingly hoarse and rough, edged with cruelty and mocking, as if she is amused by your awakening. You try to speak, and your voice catches in your throat. "I was just bringing you some water. Hold still." That frustratingly teasing tone invades her voice again, and you apprehensively lap water from the moss that she holds in her maw. "Who are you?" you manage. "That's for me to know, and you to find out!" she replies, then adds, "Actually, my name's Ice. I'm the Healer here. I should take you to the Alphas." You attempt once again to rise, and although the pain makes you feel like you could just die, right here, right now, you clench your teeth and take a step out of the nest. Ice smirks, then pushes you back into your nest with a paw. "On second thought, we should probably take the Alphas to you." She disappears around a bend in the tunnel, and moments later, two dogs show up. You assume, based on what she stated previously, that these are the Alphas. The first one who enters seems to own the cavern, and it seems like time and sound has stopped as he takes a step toward you. He practically radiates brutal power, and his face looks as if it has been carved from marble, with ruggedly handsome yet calculating features. The other dog looks like less of an Alpha at first sight, but as you look into his eyes, you realize that he controls the room with his frigid glare, and the way he carries himself exudes not only confidence, but knowledge. His gaze is like a crystal ball, and you can see your reflection in his icy irises - his appearance conveys few messages about him, but he retains many secrets. Then you realize, as you look past him, there is a third Alpha in the room. This Alpha is much smaller than the others, and carries very little power and confidence in his stare nor his walk. He appears to be slightly older than the others, with a hunched back and dull, sightless alabaster eyes that somehow have fixated on you. He gives you what you think is supposed to be a reassuring grin, but he's missing a few teeth and his smile reminds you of a jack-o-lantern's. You look away, unnerved, and the first Alpha says only a simple yet impactful phrase that sounds like more of a command than a question. "You have a choice: join, or die?" Photos and videos are a great way to add visuals to your wiki. Find videos about your topic by exploring Wikia's Video Library. Category:Browse